Thursday, December 31, 2009

For the first time in twenty years a Blue Moon, or second full moon during the same month, will fall on New Year’s Eve. It will not happen again for almost another twenty years. If you have not already, head outside and have a look.

"According to NASA, the last time a Blue Moon fell on New Year’s Eve was almost 20 years ago, in December 1990. And although a Blue Moon occurs on average every two and a half years, the next time one will fall on New Year’s Eve won’t be until 2028."

As 2009 comes to an end here is wishing your 2009 was more interesting then your 2008. As I said when 2008 was coming to a close "Think about what you have done and what you might have or should have done differently. Do not do this to live in regret, but as a template for what to do in the new year. When 2008 is over, so is your chance to live the year to the fullest. If you are lucky, you will have 2009 to try again". The same holds true now. If you are lucky, you will have 2010 to try again. My final advice for the year is the same as the last, do not repeat your mistakes of this year in the next. I will also add that if there is anything you really want to do but have been putting it off, stop. Go do it. Putting it off now may mean you will never get to do it.

Interested in what Google's biggest story of the year was? Google is happy to oblige with the info. Pay attention to just how many more views the number one article had then the number two, and then between two and three.

"It's time again for our annual wrap-up of blogging at Google. You may have noticed 2009 marked our fifth year here on the Official Google Blog — our first post was in April 2004 — and it was our busiest year yet. This is our 423rd post of 2009 — a 15 percent increase over last year. We're also pleased to note that a total of 14,493,472 readers stopped by this year, a 21 percent increase. You hail from all over: more than half of visitors are outside of the U.S. The other top countries are (in order) U.K., India, Canada, Germany and France.

What captured your attention this year? Here are the top 10 posts of 2009, by unique pageviews:

Introducing the Google Chrome OS - 2,591,794 unique pageviews (more than 12 percent of the year's total). The announcement of our open source operating system received more than 4x the views of any other post.

Email in Indian languages - 224,052. A transliteration feature in Gmail that makes it easier to type in Indian languages was a hit. More than one million readers of the blog in 2009 were from India — a 53 percent increase over 2008.

"While Pew compiled the establishment media’s top 15 stories from PEJ’s News Coverage Index, it failed to compile a similar list from PEJ’s New Media Index, which used services including Icerocket and Technorati to track interest in stories by the percentage of news links appearing in blog posts.

Had they done so, the list of the 15 bloggiest stories of 2009 would have looked like this:

Russia is considering launching a mission to intercept the asteroid 'Apophis'. Given its size and presumed composition, Apophis would classify as a country-killer. Our current calculations indicate that it will miss Earth, but just barely. Of all the known asteroids it represents the biggest danger. A few thoughts on what the Russians are thinking. Some people have said that Russia may land on it and steer it at the United States using it as a weapon. This is highly doubtful. Even if they could be assured that it would hit its target (US, China...?) the fall out would have a significant impact on them. Also, it is highly doubtful that the country being targeted would sit back waiting to be destroyed or believe it was an accident. The target country would almost certainly go nuclear against Russia. Some think it is Russia trying to establish a leadership position in space. This is more likely then the weapon theory, but also not probable. The Russian space program may not really be capable, financially or technologically, to take this on. I think it is more likely that the Russians are setting themselves up to be a part of the mission should NASA, the Europeans, or Japanese decided to launch one. It may also be a ploy by the agency to get more funding from the government.

"Russia is considering sending a spacecraft to deflect a large asteroid and prevent a possible collision with Earth, according to a radio interview by the head of the country's space agency. Anatoly Perminov said the space agency will hold a meeting soon to assess a mission to Apophis, and said NASA, ESA, the Chinese space agency and others would be invited to join the project. Apophis is a 270-meter (885-foot) asteroid that was spotted in 2004. It is projected to come within 29,450 kilometers (18,300 miles) of Earth in 2029, and currently has an estimated 1-in-250,000 chance of hitting Earth in 2036."

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

The Quarterback wins here, but you could argue that a different set of people would generate different results. You could even argue that had they held this contest again the results would change. It is hard though, not to marvel at the accuracy of some impressive athletes.

It can be hard to wrap your head around the ClimateGate scandal because of the sheer size and scope, not to mention time span. This visualization should aid you in that effort, but do not think that this will make it easy.

Mohib Ebrahim has created this amazing document. I’ve created a permanent Home page for this beautiful poster that will host the latest updates of this enormous Timeline as a PDF. There are also printable versions in A4, A3, A2, US letter and US tabloid for those of you (like me) who need printed versions to scribble on, and scrawl exclamation marks.

"The images are grainy, often jerky and hard to follow (like most footage shot using hand-held cameras and cellphones), but the message is unmistakable: in the months since the disputed Iranian presidential election in June, the people of Iran have become fluent in the new language of citizen video reporting. What might have seemed an isolated moment immediately following the election, when we watched videos of Iranians marching, battling and even dying on the streets of Tehran, appears to have become an essential part of their struggle.

At YouTube, we have been watching week after week as new videos have appeared on the site within hours of every single protest or similar event reported from Iran in the past six months. Thousands of uploads have brought the fear and tension of these protests to YouTube, inviting millions of views around the world. It is as if the revolts that are taking place could not do so outside the eye of the camera.

Unlike traditional news footage from foreign correspondents (currently prohibited in Iran), these videos are the voice of the people — unfiltered, unedited and with a single, sometimes disturbing point of view. No professional film could capture the one-to-one feeling of watching an ordinary citizen's images of unrest in his or her own country."

"Politico's Carol E. Lee has an interesting story today on President Obama's "by-now familiar pattern...for dealing with unexpected problems." As best we can figure, the Obama damage control strategy consists of these 5 easy steps:

Monday, December 28, 2009

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Christmas day bomber who tried to use suicide underwear, said that more bombers 'just like him'. Al Qaeda has also claimed responsibility for the attack. I believe both of those statements and hope the government will act appropriately to stop the others and stamp out Al Qaeda.

"Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, charged with the attempted Christmas Day bombing of Northwest Airlines flight 253, told FBI agents there were more just like him in Yemen who would strike soon.

And in a tape released four days before the attempted destruction of the Detroit-bound Northwest plane, the leader of al Qaeda in Yemen boasted of what was planned for Americans, saying, "We are carrying a bomb to hit the enemies of God.""

"Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claimed responsibility Monday for the attempted Christmas Day terrorist attack on an inbound international flight, saying it was in retaliation for alleged U.S. strikes on Yemeni soil."

A man was able to get fist size explosive aboard an airplane which was headed to New York. There is no word of the man trying to detonate it, but that obviously does not make it 'ok'. You would hope after the stepped up security from the Christmas day bombing attempt with suicide underwear that you would not hear about more of these potential near misses. The new security screening has clearly not plugged all the holes.

"Officials confirmed Monday that a crew member on board Piedmont Airlines flight 4126, originating from Baltimore Washington International Airport, was cleaning the plane after it landed in New York around 7:30 p.m. when he found a large firecracker-like device wedged between two seats. Port Authority officials contacted FBI agents, and the passenger from that seat location, identified as 67-year-old Thomas Ouelette, of Bonita Springs, Fla., was tracked down and taken into custody.

Ouelette was planning on taking a connecting flight to Fort Myers, Fla. from New York.

Authorities did not release details on the kind of device discovered other than saying it was a 4-inch-long, three-quarter-inch-wide explosive pyrotechnic."

Israel is calling all of their ambassadors home for a 'special meeting'. This a big "hmm" if I have ever seen one. The question is obviously why they either would want all their ambassadors back safely within their own boarders, or what would be so important that would require this first of its kind meeting. Something to do with Iran (Strike, sabotage...) is on the top of my, and I am assuming most other people's lists. We may not have to wait to long to figure out what is so important.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Liberman, will host a conference next week (27-31 December) for Israeli Heads of Missions. At the conference, Israel’s ambassadors and consuls general serving throughout the world will discuss broad diplomatic and strategic issues.

This is the first time a conference for all of Israel’s Heads of Missions has been held. The idea is to facilitate direct dialogue with the country’s leaders, mutual updates on major diplomatic issues, and a discussion of action plans to deal with the challenges awaiting the State of Israel in the international arena in the coming year, including the Iranian threat."

Sunday, December 27, 2009

The Christmas flight bomber terrorist used the explosive PETN sewn into a sort of 'suicide - underwear bomb'. The 80+ grams of PETN, a military grade explosive, failed to detonate because it was not properly set up. Basically, it was the terrorist's own incompetence (again, think Shoe Bomber) that saved the flight and allowed the passengers time to subdue him. Security needs to be stepped up or fixed as we should not rely on the terrorists stupidity for our safety.

"The plot to blow up an American passenger jet over Detroit was organized and launched by al Qaeda leaders in Yemen who apparently sewed bomb materials into the suspect's underwear before sending him on his mission, federal authorities tell ABC News.

Investigators say the suspect had more than 80 grams of PETN, a compound related to nitro-glycerin used by the military. The so-called shoe bomber, Richard Reid, had only about 50 grams kin his failed attempt in 2001 to blow up a U.S.-bound jet. Yesterday's bomb failed because the detonator may have been too small or was not in "proper contact" with the explosive material, investigators told ABC News."

This one, unlike the unsuccessful attempt to bring the plane down on Christmas, this does not appear to be a terrorist attack. Flight attendants got concerned when a Nigerian passenger spent an hour in the bathroom. The passenger is now thought to have actually been sick, but given that the terrorist had spent a significant time in the bathroom likely preparing his explosive the concern was legitimate.

"The same Detroit-bound Northwest Airlines flight that was attacked on Christmas Day saw another security scare Sunday after a confrontation with a sick passenger, officials said. Security and airline personnel have been on edge since authorities charged a passenger from Nigeria with attempting to detonate a hidden explosive device while his flight from Amsterdam approached Detroit on Friday.

In the Sunday incident, the flight crew became concerned after the man - also Nigerian - became sick and spent about an hour locked in the bathroom, officials said.

"This raised concerns so an alert was raised," FBI spokeswoman Sandra Berchtold said. "The investigation shows that this was a non-serious incident and all is clear at this point." No devices have been found on the plane and investigators say no apparent threats were made, reports CBS News correspondent Bob Orr ."

Saturday, December 26, 2009

If you misplace your cell phone, but know you are in the general vicinity of it, WheresMyCellPhone.com can help you find it. Head over to the site, plug in your number, and it will call your phone. Listen for the ring (or vibration) and zero in on your cell. It will not work repeatedly without a short break. The potential for pranking here is unmistakable, so they give you an option to put your number on their "do not call" list.

Assuming the price point is right, where can I sign up? No need for any serious worries about brown outs or blackouts unless we experience a cataclysm and a place (finally) to store renewable energy making that system potentially viable.

"Panasonic is going to create one of the hottest batteries available to date. The new lithium-ion storage cell should power up a whole house in 2011 when it could be available to the general public. I don't know about you but I'd want to plug that battery right into my laptop and see how much life it will be able to offer me.

Furnio Otsubo, president of Panasonic said that the new battery should offer sufficient electricity for about one week of use."

Terrorists tried unsuccessfully to take down an airplane on Christmas day (yesterday). The man mixed some sort of powdery substances with an yet to be identified liquid and tried to detonate it. The plane landed safely in Detroit after passengers subdued the man who was then taken into custody.

If an attack during the month of Ramadan is an attack on Islam, what does an attack during Christmas signify...

"Airports around the world intensified their security for U.S. bound passengers Saturday as American officials sought more information about the motives of a Nigerian man who tried to light an incendiary device aboard a flight as it descended into Detroit on Christmas Day.

Federal investigators are continuing to gather information about the suspect, Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab, including claims that he is linked to the al-Qaeda terrorist network.
...
FBI scientists in Quantico, Va., are testing the powdery material that Abdulmutallab allegedly mixed with a chemical-laden syringe aboard a flight from Amsterdam on Christmas day, said the federal law enforcement source. Northwest Airlines Flight 253 from Amsterdam landed safely about 1 p.m. Friday.
...
Abdulmutallab was treated Friday at a hospital for burns after having been subdued by fellow passengers during what some news reports described as an extended scuffle."

Here is Rush Limbaugh from a while back reminding you that buttons, ribbons, and other assorted color coding schemes are not the be all and end all of supporting a cause. There is certainly nothing wrong with it, but some people prefer to express their support in a different way or do not wish to make it over, and that is (and should continue to be) acceptable as well.

The continued decline of the 'Main Stream Media' has been disheartening to witness, mitigated only by the rise what was once considered 'alternative media' predominantly consisting of different forms of blogs/blogging. It is past the point where being referred to as part of the Main Stream Media is an insult meant to insinuate that you are in the tank for liberal causes and Democrats. At the end of the year it is worth taking a look back and remembering why this is th case.

"There were so many media lowlights that it's a challenge to pick the best of the worst for a year-end recap, but here goes:

"Teabaggers" everywhere! The mainstream media's abysmal coverage of the "tea party" movement wins the award for media bias of the year hands down....Global warming games. The tea party movement exposed the bias of liberal journalists to start the year, and ClimateGate did the same to end it. E-mails and other documents showed that for years, leading climate scientists had been manipulating scientific data, suppressing research, and playing politics in the peer-review system....Obamania. The occasionally critical press coverage that President Obama has garnered may mislead news consumers into thinking that the media have reported on him objectively, but they have not. The media's Obama worship of Campaign 2008 continued into 2009. The newsroom swoon when Obama visited The Washington Post a few days before inauguration serves as an apt symbol for the first year of his presidency...."Palinoia." The media's contempt for former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is as strong as its love for Obama. Their animosity for Palin spawned a new term in political discourse -- "Palinoia" -- and journalists had bouts of the disease on and off all year....Van Who? What ACORN videos? Ignorance may be bliss, but in the news business, it's also bias. Fortunately, the low barriers to journalism in the information age give conservatives the ability to break news on "the fringe" and force the "professionals" to stop neglecting their duty.

That's how Van Jones lost his cushy job as Obama's "green jobs" czar. No matter how radical Jones' political beliefs or how insulting his behavior, establishment journalists scoffed at the suggestion that they should care. As a result of their willful ignorance about Jones being unfit to serve the country, their reputations took a hit.

Rather than learn from the mistake, however, the media quickly repeated it by tuning out another scandal involving the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. Undercover activists caught ACORN officials on tape professing a willingness to enable child prostitution and tax fraud, among other offenses."

Head to the source (or just check the archives here) for a more detailed explanation of each incident.

Cube Works is the creator of the "The Last Supper" using 4,050 Rubik's cubes which is now recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records in a category created because of the piece. At their website, CubeWorks.ca, they display some of their other creations and have contact information for custom orders. While no specifics on prices are given, understandably they explain the that price is based on size and complexity.

The Senate has passes 'ReidCare' on a strict party line vote of 60-39. This outcome was not in any doubt after the Democrats mustered 60 to end the debate. There are a few more hurdles the Democrats will have to overcome before a health care overhaul becomes law.

"First, the House has to either consider adopting the Senate bill in toto or responding with another version of their own bill that passed a few weeks ago. Even the White House doesn't consider the first option realistic, which is why they're resetting expectations about getting a unified bill out of Congress to February and doing the "hard pivot" to jobs and the economy instead....This goes back to the House, and then likely back again to the Senate, and perhaps even a stop in a conference committee if Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid can't avoid it. Meanwhile, the appraisal by voters of this effort will continue to get worse and worse, and this will continue to be an albatross around the neck of Democrats in 2010."

And this little gem that Ace helps make sure does not fall through the cracks.

"Isn't It Supposed to Work the Other Way 'Round? progressoverpeace seizes on this telling quote by Schumer:

I believe that the negativity that Leader McConnell and others have continually displayed on the floor has peaked, and now when people learn what's actually in the bill—and all the good it does—it is going to become more and more popular...

Isn't the citizenry supposed to be afforded a fair chance to "learn what's actually in the bill" before their alleged representatives vote it into operation? And -- let's face it, we are not just talking about citizens "learning what's actually in the bill." We are talking about Senators, including Schumer, finally taking the time to learn themselves what oddball provisions have been put into this crazy-quilt patchwork of bribes and sell-outs and taxes and death panels.

They cobbled this thing together with no game plan, and they did so in a furious rush. Something like 2700 pages and it's never actually been read, merely written at 1 a.m. by legislative staffers with no actual goal in mind except to get this one Senator on board this minute, and now this other Senator the next."

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Can not decide between Google and Bing? Now you do not have to. Head to Google-vs-Bing.com, type in your search query, and you will get a split screen of the two search engine results. You can then compare the different results or just use the site to search both at the same time.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

One quick tip, do not use this method with any vintage bottle you would be upset about shattering; especially as your first attempt. Also, double check that the bottle is not a twist top or you will just embarrass yourself.

This is the second time the number has been revised downward, now more then 1/3 less then originally reported. If we do not have accurate numbers it is going to be very difficult to tell how our economy is doing. It is also a bit worrisome considering the programs we had that promised a short term boost. That means either those programs were a lot less effective then originally thought or our economy is in worse shape then we feared.

"The third-quarter growth looks a lot more anemic than advertised by the Obama administration, especially when one considers the gimmicks that temporarily boosted its performance. Most troubling is Commerce's poor performance in analyzing economic conditions. If they're so incompetent as to miss this figure by 37% (1.3 from 3.5 is slightly over 37%), then clearly they need some fresh talent. If they got pressured into stating overly cheerful numbers, it's something else entirely. That would be something Congress should investigate … if we had an independent Congress at all."

LinkBun.ch bills itself as a quick and easy way to share multiple links. When you go to LinkBun.ch, you are presented with large text box. In the box you add as many links as you want. Once you are done, press the "Bunch" button. You will be provided with a link (ex. LinkBun.ch/___). The link brings you to a page that has all the links you typed into the box, and they are click-able. Besides clicking on the links individually, there is an "Open entire bunch" option which, opens all of the links with one click.

The Balloon Boy's parents have been sent a bill to reimburse the government for money wasted in an effort to save their son who was never in any danger. This really is not much of a surprise, except that it is less then I thought it would be considering all the manpower, equipment, and time spent. The parents are not ready to pay it yet and are waiting on the invoice.

"The parents in the "Balloon Boy" ruse have been hit with a tab of $42,000 from local, state and federal agencies for their October stunt that briefly left many fearing for the fate of their 6-year-old, their lawyer said Monday. The Heenes' attorney, David Lane, said the Fort Collins couple isn't ready to pay up, at least not yet. "Let's see the bills," he said. "They're not paying anything until they see some receipts." Lane said he was e-mailed the amounts by the Larimer County district attorney's office."

"To see this feature in action, use AutoShare to link up your YouTube account to social networks like Twitter and Google Reader. Then, whenever you favorite a video on YouTube, for example, that action will get syndicated out to your network, who will see this shortened edition of the video's URL.

To use youtu.be manually, simply take a URL like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdeioVndUhs and replace the "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=" with "http://youtu.be/" to get: http://youtu.be/FdeioVndUhs Plug that shorter URL into a browser, and you'll see it redirects to that video."

"Some of you may have seen or heard of a YouTube video in which the facial-tracking software didn’t work for a customer. We thank Desi, and the people who have seen and commented on his video, for bringing this subject to our attention.

We are working with our partners to learn more. The technology we use is built on standard algorithms that measure the difference in intensity of contrast between the eyes and the upper cheek and nose. We believe that the camera might have difficulty “seeing” contrast in conditions where there is insufficient foreground lighting. While we work on this, take a look here for more information on the impact of lighting on facial tracking software, and how to optimize your webcam experience: http://bit.ly/7HsZHD"

"Twitter Inc. will make about $25 million from Internet-search deals with Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp. announced in October, enough to push the site into profitability, people familiar with the matter said.

An agreement that made Twitter’s messages searchable on Google’s site will generate about $15 million, said the people, who asked to remain anonymous because the terms aren’t public. A similar deal with Microsoft’s Bing search engine will earn Twitter about $10 million.

The multiyear agreements will allow Twitter to make a small profit in 2009, said the people, who estimate that its operating costs are about $20 million to $25 million a year. The San Francisco-based company, which started in 2006, has about 105 employees, according to its Web site."

“Voting ‘no’ and hiding from the vote are the same result. Those of us on the floor see it. It was clear the three of them who did not cast their yes votes until all 60 Senate votes had been tallied and it was clear that the result was a foregone conclusion. And why? Why all this discord and discourtesy, all this unprecedented destructive action? All to break the momentum of our new young president.

They are desperate to break this president. They have ardent supporters who are nearly hysterical at the very election of President Barack Obama. The birthers, the fanatics, the people running around in right-wing militia and Aryan support groups, it is unbearable to them that President Barack Obama should exist. That is one powerful reason. It is not the only one.”

So in which of these three groups does the Seattle Times editorial board belong?

"The Senate took a giant step toward passing its sweeping healthcare bill early today, uniting fractious Democrats after months of debate over President Obama's promise to reduce the ranks of the uninsured.

Breaking the Republican filibuster required the votes of all 60 members of the Democratic caucus. The cloture motion, which passed 60 to 40"

Is 'Climate Change' about to join 'Global Warming' as a discarded term replaced by 'Climate Instability'? 'Climate Instability' may not be the choice of supporters of human caused global warming or climate change but the other two terms seem more trouble then they are worth.

"Just as "global warming" was pushed into an inconveniently cold and bitter night, "climate change" may be readying its last will and testament.

"Climate change" was always a weak substitute for "global warming", because it was always so easy to rebut. As even the experts were forced to concede, the climate is always changing and has since long before man discovered spark plugs.

This new terminology is more clever, for it neatly avoids the shortcomings of its clumsy forebears. It requires neither warming, nor change. Just television....Warm winters, cold winters, more hurricanes, fewer hurricanes, growing ice caps, melting ice caps - directions won't matter. Every "new" temperature record, every seasonal flood, every California hot spell, every dusting of snow in the south of France - in other words, local weather, reported globally, will return full force as evidence of anthropogenic climate crime, as it did in a simpler time when the ice conditions of a canal in Ottawa led to nationwide panic.

So, get ready to welcome the new talking point on the block: "climate instability"."

Infidelesto puts it rather bluntly; "The bigoted and racist actions of Islamic regimes is almost expected, so therefore ignored. Can you imagine Muslims in a western country not being able to leave their hotel room because only “Christians” were allowed on the streets? There would be worldwide outrage" talking about a pilot and crew stuck in a hotel room because as non-Muslims they are not aloud to walk around the city; "Flyglobespan captain Bob Lee revealed that the crew members have been confined to their hotel for at least four days because, as non-Muslims, they are not allowed to move around the city."

Someone should remind that moron how the Boston Massacre started. It was pretty absurd for the cop to pull a gun in the snowball fight, but what sort of moron pelts a man holding a gun with a snowball.

Congressman Alan Grayson (D) wants Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate the person that created the website MyCongressmanIsNuts.com (see Berman Post: MyCongressmanIsNuts.com). He is requesting the person be fined and thrown in jail for five years. I wonder if they can use this as proof that he really is nuts.

"U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson of Orlando took such offense at a parody website aimed at unseating him that the freshman Democrat has asked that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder investigate the Lake County activist who started the anti-Grayson website “mycongressmanisnuts.com.”

Specifically, Grayson accuses Republican activist Angie Langley of lying to federal elections. His four-page complaint highlights the fact that the Clermont resident lives outside his district, but that Langley still uses the term “my” in “mycongressmanisnuts.com.”

“Ms. Langley has deliberately masqueraded as a constituent of mine, in order to try to create the false appearance that she speaks for constituents who don’t support me,” writes Grayson. “[She] has chosen a name for her committee that is utterly tasteless and juvenile.”

Grayson’s office did not respond with comment other than to confirm the letter exists — including its request that Langley be fined and “imprisoned for five years.”"

The video is not of the incident but of the cop admitting to it. No one was shot, it was apparently just brandished after the cop was hit with a snowball. The officer was plain clothed and it is unclear if the snowball thrower new the person was a cop or even if it was intentional. No shots were fired.

"A plainclothes police detective allegedly pulled his gun out and waved it at a large group of people in a snowball fight at the corner of 14th and U Saturday afternoon.

The incident began when a plain-clothes detective approached the crowd of people throwing snowballs and got into a verbal altercation with members of the crowd, according to police.

A uniformed officer responded to the scene after getting calls about a man with a gun. The uniformed officer pulled out his weapon as he approached the plain-clothes detective. As soon as the detective identified himself the uniformed officer put his gun back in the holster, police said."

You will notice at the bottom of your screen a new toolbar from Wibiya. It does not effect site load time because it loads after the rest of the site does. It also stays on the bottom of your screen unless you click the double down arrow on the far right to hide it. The toolbar provides a quick and easy way to access the Berman PostRSS feed, Facebook Fan Page, and Twitter Page. The toolbar offers a quick way to share content and/or comments across different networks, translate the page, or even play a game. The 'notification' or mini pop up message bubble is another interesting feature that could prove useful.

"A successful attack on Twitter early Friday morning is being blamed on Twitter’s own email security, as hackers were able to get access to an email account and change a password, then redirect Twitter.com traffic elsewhere....Now Twitter’s DNS provider, Dyn Inc., has absolved itself of blame by claiming that the DNS records were changed by an authorized user: in other words, the attacker had the password to Twitter’s Dyn Inc account, logged in and changed the settings. That points to one likely cause: a Twitter administrator had their email security compromised, and a password reset request was made.

Twitter’s email security was also the cause of previous Twitter attacks: a breach of one staff member’s email account provided access."

The man arrested for being naked in his own house was convicted. I have not had time to read the ruling yet, but it appears that my previous analysis may have been correct and that he was visible from a public area as the testimony was he was standing in his open door. He is appealing.

"The Fairfax County man who was arrested for being naked -- in his home -- was found guilty Friday of indecent exposure, but the judge did not fine him or sentence him to jail....Yvette Dean testified that about two hours later, at 8:40 a.m., she and her son were walking single file on a footpath near the side of Williamson's home. Dean said she heard "a rattling sound that distracted me." She looked over and saw Williamson standing in a doorway, holding open the screen door with one hand, and made eye contact with him. ...O'Flaherty sentenced him to 180 days in jail, all suspended for one year. He imposed no fine, just court costs of about $72, which Williamson didn't have to pay because he appealed."

"The UN climate summit reached a weak outline of a global agreement last night in Copenhagen, falling far short of what Britain and many poor countries were seeking and leaving months of tough negotiations to come.

After eight draft texts and all-day talks between 115 world leaders, it was left to Barack Obama and Wen Jiabao, the Chinese premier, to broker a political agreement. The so-called Copenhagen accord "recognises" the scientific case for keeping temperature rises to no more than 2C but did not contain commitments to emissions reductions to achieve that goal."

" On orders from President Barack Obama, the U.S. military launched cruise missiles early Thursday against two suspected al-Qaeda sites in Yemen, administration officials told ABC News in a report broadcast on ABC World News with Charles Gibson.

One of the targeted sites was a suspected al Qaeda training camp north of the capitol, Sanaa, and the second target was a location where officials said "an imminent attack against a U.S. asset was being planned."

The Yemen attacks by the U.S. military represent a major escalation of the Obama administration's campaign against al Qaeda."